The Endless River

[voidtreckermods]

On the morning of day twenty one of the month of Kazoo there is a message on the ICP screens around the train. Their SCA's will light up the colour of the Void and show the following information.

World #398050 is a void nexus known locally as Tshering. As a void nexus this world has strong links with the void and the connection through worlds. World #398050 is home to the Endless River. Legends speak of this river being powerful enough to send thoughts from one heart to another across any distance. All that is needed is for you to know who it is you wish to reach.

On-board

The dressing carriage is open, filled with clothing best suited to a pleasant spring day. Light, airy and in a rainbow of joyful colours and florals. One closet is entirely filled with wide-brimmed hats bedecked with ribbons, feathers and ornaments. A stack of picnic baskets and containers filled with an alarming variety of passenger-suitable foodstuffs and flasked drinks sits in one corner, next to rolls of thick, weatherproof blankets in the four team colours.

The large box marked Do Not Use Yet, filled with small, empty jute bags, is hopefully still sat in the Luggage carriage, ready for passengers to grab handfuls of its contents as directed by the announcement.

Upon landing (after an appropriate countdown), the train remains on the surface, its carriages partially curved to form a gathering site for the day. Welcome to Tshering, the eighth void nexus!



A Day for Picnics

Tshering, system #398050, is a strange place, only habitable by grace of the passengers' SCAs. The sky is shot through with colours, a cascade of sunsets, and through it, the void shimmering through it in seams like a child's painting of the milky way. Still, there's a beauty to the chaotic mash of colours that soaks through its landscape, and in the shelter of the forests of towering funghi that dot its surface, the Void can go unseen by its visitors.

The temperature seems mild, suitable for the provided clothing, and if there are weather patterns around the world they've taken the day off. The funghi are sturdy enough that what air flow there is doesn't disturb their stalks, and carved grooves and holds in some of the larger examples indicate that climbing them to sit atop their glowing crowns is eminently possible, and, in fact, encouraged.

the Endless River

The Endless River is a font of pure chaos, flowing from a multitude of small rivulets across the area to a central reservoir, from which it pours directly upwards, away from Tshering's surface and out of sight, beyond the world's atmosphere.

Anything bagged and placed within the Endless River will also flow upwards and soon be out of sight, passing, presumably, into the Void. Scattered across the surface of Tshering are small, glittering pebbles, as described in the announcement.

The stones are pleasantly cool to the touch, and all passengers need to do is feel. Messages can be in any form that the Voidtreckers wish. Perhaps words, perhaps feelings, perhaps an image from their mind into the stone. Perhaps a mixture. Once they begin their message the stone will glow slightly and continue to glow as they secure it in the bag and cast it into the river. They will feel, almost instinctively, that they need to focus as they do so, thinking of the person they wish to reach all the while.

There are plenty of bags and many more stones; passengers will not be limited in their sendings.

Comments

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"Oh, as am I! Have to pass the time somehow, right?" What a strange set of affairs, that would lead a King to be a cook. "So perhaps I might persuade you to join me for that as well, sometime."

[marvelous_murderbot]

"I suppose that is true," she replied. "And maybe. I've been persuaded that I need to accept more social engagements."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I gladly put myself at your service for any and all such things." It made Edge wonder all the more. She surely didn't lack for social interaction involuntarily, so why had she chosen such previously, and what had changed her mind?

[marvelous_murderbot]

What's the human term for that, that's she's heard? Cheese. Something to do with cheese.

"Thank you, that is very kind."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I assure you, the pleasure is and will be mine!" Yeah, he's terrible. But at least he's harmless?

[marvelous_murderbot]

She shrugs, then, standing straight.

"Well then, no time like the present."

Harmless remains to be seen, because she's been through enough in her life - but for now, it's worth engaging in social interaction.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"Oh, well! Then what may I have the honor of escorting you to?" Edge hopped lightly to his feet in turn, having not expected that. (Not that he thought for a second she was actually responding to flirtation.)

[marvelous_murderbot]

That presumes a lot more knowledge of where to eat than she has. All she's aware of is food on the train. She doesn't usually pay attention off of it unless she has to.

"Oh, well...wherever you think best."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I saw some picnickers by a stand of those large mushrooms. That seems like that perfect place."

No one can call him a genius, but he WAS perceptive.

[marvelous_murderbot]

He nods, with a smile on her face.

"Very well. So long as we don't have to eat the mushrooms themselves."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I don't think so, but I admit I didn't look to see what was available."

Because it was gentlemanly and hope sprung eternal, he offered her an arm.

[marvelous_murderbot]

It takes her a moment to recognize the gesture.

"Oh, you are displaying gentlemanly behavior. Fascinating."

She linked her arm through his, almost experimentally.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I'd be dismayed that this is fascinating when it's your fair due," Edge said, leading the way with light steps and a smile. "But I've seen a lot of places stand on no formality at all."

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Very little in life is fair," she said, following alongside.

"As have I. I think I've had my fill of dingy cantinas, really."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"Most of life is spent trying to make it fairer," Edge said, meaning that as agreement. "I welcome this chance to provide a non-dingy... cantina? atmosphere?"

Needless to say, he didn't know the word.

[marvelous_murderbot]

"I believe," she responded, tilting her head a bit closer, to impart friendliness in providing information, "in other universes they call it a bar."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"Oh, I see! No fear of that anywhere around here, I suppose." Not that a bar was a terrible place if it was fairly classy, but from her description a cantina seemed to not be almost by definition. "Only the finest picnic accommodations!"

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Oh, a picnic. I've never been on one of those!"

That seems to definitely strike her interest.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I really would like to hear your story. You've lived such a different life than those I know." Which wasn't surprising, here on the train, but Edge would have assumed some things would be universal...

[marvelous_murderbot]

"I suppose it would be interesting to some, but it is not terribly complicated. If it weren't for the explosions, I think it would hold little interest to a listener."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"I'll take that bet. If I find it exhausting, I'll beg you to leave off, but I think you're more likely to go mad from my constant requests for explanations. I've much to learn, after all." What with being from a fantasy world and all!

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Oh, I cannot go mad unless I were reprogrammed," she reassured him, waving that away with her free arm.

"But where would you like me to start?"

[onehandsomeslickninja]

"Well, I'd like to know about you. So where did you come from?"

He had no idea how to put any other question properly without being offensive or foolish, since he still didn't quite understand just what all the things she'd said or hinted at truly amount to.

[marvelous_murderbot]

"I was activated on a mining planetoid in the Minos Cluster," she said.

"It had a number, not even a name, specifically - there were many such bodies there."

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Trying not to be annoying. Planetoid, that was basically a planet, right? 'Minos Cluster' must be a name instead of anything meaningful. But... "Activated? Aren't you at least part... you know, flesh?"